Pilots may sometimes encounter a flap over-speed situation after takeoff or during landing for the trailing edge flap system. For example during takeoff, the pilot may forget to retract the flaps after takeoff while the aircraft accelerates, and thus the speed of the aircraft may quickly exceed a flap design speed. During landing, the pilot may set the flaps too soon or alternatively have set the flaps and then accelerate beyond the flap design speed.
Trailing edge flaps are deployed to increase the aspect ratio of the wing and to provide additional lift for the aircraft. The trailing edge flaps are generally moved through a number of different detents or positions as the aircraft reaches its predetermined flap design speed (commonly referred to as flap placard speeds) for a given detent. When the speed of the aircraft exceeds the predetermined flap placard speed for a given detent, the flap system may incur structural damage or be required to undergo a mandatory inspection before the aircraft may be placed back into service. Most aircraft have a visual indication of the flap design speeds on a primary flight display in the cockpit; however flap over-speed situations continue to occur.